Third time may be charm for Patapon 3

I’m sure I’ve said this before, but I have a love-hate relationship with Patapon. I love the concept, the only problem is that I can’t execute it. I like the fact that you play as this deity with an army of devoted soldiers. The rhythm component that makes them move and attack is original. I just wish I was physically able to master it. I’m a person incapable of playing rhythm games if there’s not a guitar involved.

With Patapon 3, I was hoping for yet another go at the franchise. Maybe the third time would be the charm for me. From my hands-on at a community event this week, the sequel is definitely easier to play. According to Sony’s Chris Hinojosa-Miranda, I was jamming at it because this time around the game works in the background to ease up if you mess up too much or it gets more precise if you keep on nailing the button presses to the beats. There isn’t a specific screen saying you’ll be going to easy mode, Patapon 3 will just shift to it behind the scenes.

As for those who actually finished Patapon 2 or played parts of it, Patapon 3 will give you a little prize before going at it again. That looks like it will definitely help you out, knowing that you have to start over again from scratch. Apparently at the end of the previous game, the Patapons opened up a chest they shouldn’t have.

The box actually contained seven spirits and they turned the Patapon army into stone. A few years later, the deity — that is you — puts your power into the hero Patapon, creating a new class the uber hero. They kind of look like the Patapon version of Zero, from the Mega Man franchise. The Uber Hero leads the rest of the army as the deity once again takes action.

The beginner’s stages teach you the basics. There’s the march, the attack, the defense, the retreat. There are also some other interesting moves like the charge, the jump and the party. Lastly, there’s a summon chant that’s a little harder to do. No longer secret, all of these moves are displayed on the bottom of the screen. These stages are timed and mostly get newcomers used to the unconventional controls. There’s also different levels that will test your army’s strength and your ability.

Overall, there are 80 missions in Patapon 3. In addition, players have the opportunity to go through a four-player co-op mode and an eight-player competitive multiplayer. For those dedicated fans, the game even supports Patapon clans. They can actually take their four-player organization and put it up against others though I don’t know how many clans are realistically out there.

Quite frankly, I’m hopeful for this edition for the series. Maybe I can actually get through a Patapon game without breaking a screen. I’m crossing my fingers and expecting it to be more forgiving, and if it is, then I can make the most of the blacksmith, where I can forge weapons, or the armory, where I can equip my soldiers. I may even make my own squad loadouts in the barracks.

I really like the addition of the Uber Hero, which gives players a character to identity with now that Meden, the high priestess is still trapped in stone in the beginning. The Uber Hero seems like something players can concentrate and craft meticulously, adding helmets, a new weapon, even a horse. Add in a nice mechanic where you open treasure chests and get items after completing each mission and it definitely feels like this Patapon can be more rewarding than the others.